County Re-alignment

[novitiate]

So we should embark on a huge, and probably doomed, social engineering program to stop MA from being unusual?

I'm sure everyone will be convinced when we tell them "now we can be just like Virginia!"

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Okay, but this IS Massachusetts. I'm trying to be realistic here, and changing the ways things have been done since 16-whenever isn't going to happen.

If the statehouse can nix rent control in Cambridge on its own accord. It can enact anything else to bring about that change.

 

[George_Apley]

If the statehouse can nix rent control in Cambridge on its own accord. It can enact anything else to bring about that change.

The statehouse is part of the embedded New England culture. The statehouse has no reason to try to do this at all. Why would they ever give up their power to a middleman?

We also have initiatives in MA. The towns and cities involved could organize a ballot question to overrule reorganization if the state were to do it unilaterally. Things don't get done in MA through unilateral actions. It's always a bargain.

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

So we should embark on a huge, and probably doomed, social engineering program to stop MA from being unusual?

They can keep the status quo but it takes more tax revenue to pay for supporting (perhaps) twice the necc. unionized-administrative government positions. That's less money on transport and other things folks seek. Mass. can keep whatsoever system it wants but it'll just have to work with the funds it has avail. If administrative costs is one of the luxuries Mass. wants it'll have to cut back elsewhere or raise taxes to compensate.

 

[George_Apley]

I think the state has clearly made its choice... seeing as no one at any level is actually talking about demolishing the existing system of local governance in favor of a strong county system.

 

[Ron Newman]

If the statehouse can nix rent control in Cambridge on its own accord. It can enact anything else to bring about that change.

"the statehouse" didn't nix Cambridge (and Boston and Brookline) rent control. A statewide ballot question did that. (I consider this an abuse of the democratic process, since the three municipalities in question all voted no.)